The present invention relates generally to an environmental chamber for testing hard drives. More specifically, the present invention relates to a fixture for securing and testing a hard drive while in an environmental chamber.
Computer hard drives are generally subjected to a xe2x80x9cburn-inxe2x80x9d testing procedure conducted in an environmentally controlled test chamber. These chambers are designed to isolate the drive from vibrations, from temperature changes, and from humidity changes so that the drive manufacturer can obtain accurate performance test results.
Computer hard drives are also usually subjected to thermal testing or environmental conditioning testing during the design and prototyping phases of the manufacturing process. This testing, also known as xe2x80x9cfinal verificationxe2x80x9d testing, is also typically conducted in large environmental test chambers. During these tests, it is desirable to have controlled and stabilized air temperature and airflow rate around the devices under test. The test temperature and airflow rate are selected by the manufacturer to simulate the thermal stress range of conditions that the device under test is realistically expected to experience in its useful life. Alternatively, the test temperature and airflow may be selected to include some multiple of the worst expected conditions. These tests can provide a valuable tool to verify product quality and reliability and to assure that the hard drives meet industry standards.
Typical hard drive test fixtures in the prior art are precision machined to close tolerance, making them relatively expensive to fabricate. Furthermore, prior art test fixtures are typically built to handle only one type of hard drive. Consequently, there is a need in the art for a low-cost hard drive test fixture, and for a fixture which is adaptable to accommodate disk drives of varying sizes.
Accordingly, the present invention is a test fixture for supporting a hard drive during testing. The test fixture can be used to store hard drives undergoing testing, and can be adapted for insertion into an environmental testing chamber. The test fixture includes a pan, a test card coupled to the pan, and a bearing surface for guiding a hard drive to the test card.
In one embodiment, rails are attached to the base of the pan for providing structural support to the pan and to provide a bearing surface for positioning of the hard drive. A connection card is located in place between the rails and is adapted for connection to the hard drive. The test fixture also includes an ejection rod for facilitating removal of the hard drive from the test fixture.
In an alternate embodiment, the test fixture includes a pan, a test card coupled to the pan, a first bearing surface coupled to the pan, and a second bearing surfaced coupled to the pan. The first and second bearing are each adapted to guide a hard drive of a particular size to the test card. In this configuration, the test fixture is easily adapted to test hard drives of varying sizes.
While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein is shown and described only the embodiments of the invention, by way of illustration, of the best modes contemplated for carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.